ISAC Blog

by Alex Sammut

ISAC (UK) Ltd are excited to announce that we now have the ability to offer the full range of our IOSH Approved training courses in the form of virtual training!

This can be achieved through either Zoom or Microsoft Teams to maximise the options of a smooth, successful, training course delivered to your employees with minimal fuss. If you have a workforce that are currently diverse in location and in need of specialist IOSH training in the subjects of Legionella Management, Modern CoSHH or Work Equipment and Machinery Safety (PUWER) then contact us today to see how we can offer our courses.

#virtualtraining #zoom #microsoftteams #onlinetraining #IOSHtraining #IOSH

by Alex Sammut

As more and more businesses prepare to reopen next Monday 15th June 2020, it is important to understand that many of these buildings have been closed for extended periods of time. As such, water stagnation in pipework and worse still in storage tanks may cause a hidden risk to many businesses as they resume service.

Coupled with the hottest month on record for May, there is a real potential for higher than normal counts of Legionella bacteria to be present in domestic style hot and cold water systems (HCWS) within building and offices and the call by many experts in the industry is to proceed with caution as we initially start to reuse the outlets.

If required, an additional risk assessment should be considered for the management of outlets to ensure that stale, stangant water that has been in the system for extended periods of time is safety flushed through minimising potential risks. The requirement for cleaning and disinfection of systems should also be considered.

If you are unsure about the risks posed by Legionella bacteria in your water systems or have questions on how to safety proceed then contact us and we will be happy to advise you wherever possible.

#Legionella #outlets #legionellacontrol #watermanagement #buildings #facilities #facilitiesmanagement

by Alex Sammut

ISAC (UK) Ltd have taken a full page advertisement in the Spring 2019 edition of the Agenda for Business Magazine in Derby. With a circulation of 4000 copies directly distributed within the local business community, ISAC (UK) Ltd look to increase the local awareness of their services. 

#CoSHH #Legionella #WorkEquipment #PUWER #IOSHAccreditedTraining #IOSH #Training Courses

by Alex Sammut

Recent research carried out by IARC has confirmed that welding fume should be classified as a human carcinogen, prompting the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK to issue a safety alert to industry - STSU1 - 2019 and has called for tighter controls to protect employees.

Want to learn more on how to control carcinogens in the workplace or how to implement a Modern CoSHH Management programme?

Why not reserve a place on our one of our IOSH Approved Modern CoSHH Management Training Courses today - Click Here or for alternative dates why not reserve a place on one of our courses being run directly through IOSH themselves - Click Here

#CoSHH #welding #weldingfume #carcinogens #safetyalert #riskassessment #safety #healthandsafetytraining #manufacturing #HSE #IOSH

by Alex Sammut

2 Sisters Food Group Ltd were recently prosecuted for two Work Equipment and Machinery based accidents that happened in quick succession back in March and August 2016. Both led to digits on the employees being severed.

The Work Equipment accident in March 16 involved an employee's thumb being severed after it became trapped in a moving shackle of a machine and the employee being pulled along until his thumb moved past a fixed gate.

Whereas the second Work Equipment accident occurred when a cleaner entered into an area where machinery should have been isolated, leading to his finger also becoming trapped on a shackle line too.

Both were unable to reach the emergency stops on the equipment.

In relation to the first Work Equipment accident 2 Sisters Food Group Ltd of Grange Road, Flixton, Bungay pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Works Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and was fined £200,000 plus £4,031.83 costs.

For the second accident, 2 Sisters Food Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 and was fined £74,000 plus £4,386.52 costs.

Afterwards, HSE inspector Saffron Turnell said, “These incidents could so easily have been avoided had appropriate controls been in place.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Want to avoid these types of accidents at your work place?

Why not reserve a place on our one of our IOSH Approved Work Equipment and Machinery Safety Training Courses today - Click Here

#machinerysafety #safesystemsofwork #PUWER #HSE #prosecutions #riskassessment #safety #healthandsafetytraining #manufacturing #machinery

by Alex Sammut

Are you a 3rd party contractor providing services within the water industry for Legionella Bacteria?

Just a reminder that this quarter sees a purpose driven approach by the HSE to carry out an inspection campaign within the industry.

As you can see, it is particularly aimed at contractors that provide water treatment, risk assessments and cleaning services as they attempt to lower the likelihood of high-consequence risks from exposure to the bacteria.

Maybe you are one of the companies that have had a visit or maybe you are not prepared for a visit.

Either way, reserve a place on our one of our IOSH Approved Legionella Management for Responsible Persons Training Courses today - https://www.isac.co.uk/course/iosh-legionella-management-for-responsible-persons.html or for alternative dates why not reserve a place on one of our courses being run directly through IOSH themselves - Click Here

#inspection #waterindustry #watertreatment #contractors #legionella #riskassessment #safety #healthandsafetytraining #hsg274 #L8 #legionellatraining 

by Alex Sammut

Many people often ask us 'Why do I need an Independent Legionella Audit?' 
What is the purpose?

Well, consider for a moment that you have been newly nominated the "Responsible Person' for your business with respect to Legionella Management. 

• Hopefully you already know about Legionella bacteria and its potential risks. 
• Hopefully you have already had relevant training with respect to being a Responsible Person (You'll be surprised the number of people that haven't had any training before being assigned the role!) and therefore already have a good understanding of the importance of fulfilling the role.
• Hopefully you have all of the required paperwork, records and assessments in place for managing Legionella on your site and that they are being kept up-to-date.
• Maybe you even have an existing contractor that routinely comes in and helps you with specific tasks such as flushing, cleans and disinfections and / or water sampling.

But how do you know that all of this would stand up to an investigation and the scrutiny of an external stakeholder inspection?

The Purpose...
The purpose of an Independent Legionella Audit is therefore to give you, and ultimately your Duty Holder, the confidence that everything that you are currently doing right now with respect to Legionella Management is fully compliant prior to having any issue or unexpected visit.   

How the audit unfolds...
Depending on the needs of the client (remember you can set the scope of the audit that you would like!) an independent Legionella auditor will come in and will initially, often, take a top-down approach to the specific area in question.

If the client has not set a specific scope for the audit then the auditor will most likely take a systematic approach through the entire subject area. This will involve, for example:

• Auditing any existing Legionella based Health and Safety Policies within the business
• Reviewing any existing Legionella Risk Assessments carried out of the site
• Reviewing and auditing any existing Written Schemes of Control in place
• Reviewing and assessing any existing training matrices for relevant employees
• Completing a walk-around of the entire site and focusing on water-based systems
• Talking to relevant employees with respect to their roles and activities they carry out
• Reviewing existing 3rd party contractors agreed roles and responsibilities
• Benchmarking current working practices of said contractors to their accreditations that they may be signed up to i.e. Legionella Control Association - Code of Conduct
• Reviewing any paperwork and physical work carried out by said contractors

Once these and a number of other activities have been reviewed, the role of the Legionella auditor will then be to start identifying any potential gaps that may exist in the client's existing programme so that they can be informed and the client can start the process of rectifying them. (Don't worry this is not the independent auditor scouting for additional work! In fact, this is actually a requirement laid out within the Approved Code of Practice, ACoP, itself for any consultant or water contractor within the industry)  

Any significant risks that have been identified will immediately be discussed with the relevant employees to ensure that solutions can be found as soon as possible, to prevent any unwanted issue with respect to Legionella bacteria.

Depending on what the independent Legionella auditor finds they may then wish to ask further questions and / or review further documentation before finally having enough notes in order to be able to give the Responsible Person a comprehensive report of their findings in due course.

What an Independent Legionella audit is.....

• Similar to an MOT of your car but for your business by an independent specialist
• A review of current working practices versus what is expected by law to ensure compliance is being achieved
• A positive activity that results in a better understanding of your system and ultimately your roles with respect to Legionella management
• A fresh pair of eyes that will uncover any gaps in your paperwork, training and policies
• A fresh pair of eyes that will potentially highlight poor working practices by your employees and / or 3rd party contractors
• An improvement plan to strive for not just good practice but best practice
• A benchmarking process that can be utilised for just one site year-on-year or used across multiple sites to compare and contrast, identified, different working practices

Most importantly though it is an opportunity to uncover any potential issues before they materialise into any form of ill health and lastly to confirm that you are actually doing a good job in the first place!

What an Independent Legionella Audit is NOT...

• An audit that should be used to internally discipline against
• A criticism of your existing work and employees
• An audit carried out by someone with a vested interest i.e. an existing 3rd party contractor

For more information...
No matter how big or small, contact us today for more information on how we can assist you and your business with the management of Legionella Bacteria.

World Cancer Day!
by Alex Sammut

Today is World Cancer Day!

Every year thousands of people die needlessly from Occupational (Work-related) Cancer after being exposed to Carcinogens in the work place. 

Our IOSH Approved Modern CoSHH Management Two Day Course offers employees and employers alike an indepth knowledge into some of the most serious chemicals, products, applications and procedures that exist in the everyday working environment. 

Not only this but our CoSHH course looks at how a Modern CoSHH Management programme should look in the workplace, ranging from simple risk assessments for the low risk applications all the way through to a comprehensive control and monitoring programme for the most significant risk products that you may have or use on a daily basis.

The course covers the history of CoSHH Management within the UK, looking at the history behind the CHIP regulations leading to the current day CLP and REACH regulations that are currently driving the control of CMRs (Carcinogens, Mutagens and Repotoxins).

As well as this course also focuses on the other following aspects:

• planning local exhaust ventilation test programmes & analysing their results
• planning first level air monitoring studies and higher level monitoring reports
• designing a health screening policy
• implementing a protective equipment testing & inspection system
• developing an instruction system for handling hazardous substance

For more information and available course dates click on the course outline here - https://www.isac.co.uk/course/iosh-modern-coshh-management.html

In addition, we run bespoke in-house versions of this course. To enquiry running your own in-house bespoke Modern CoSHH Management course please complete our enquiry form - https://www.isac.co.uk/enquiry.php

(Image - www.cancerninjas.com)